Wilson and McCulloch to install blowing machines

WILSON & M'CULLOCH

WILL PROBABLY SUBSTITUTE THE

GLASS BLOWING MACHINE

For Their Hand Blowers the Coming

Fire in Their Four Factories

in This County.

By the following dispatch from Fairmount to the Cincinnati Post, it would seem that the days for hand glass blowers in the Wilson & McCulloch fruit jar factories in this city, Converse and Fairmount are about numbered: "What looks like a lock out is soon to be inaugurated by Wilson & McCulloch, the second largest manufacturers of fruit jars in the United States. The blowers will be replaced by blowing machines. A large number of men are at work now setting these up. The former workmen, members of the Green Bottle Blowers' association, do not seem to be worried over the outlook, as they claim the macine [sic] machine is not a success. However, the company insists that the machine is a success and all indications point to an early resumption with the machines instead of the men.

"The scale of wages was settled last year after a number of conferences between Dennis Hayes, national president, and Messrs. Wilson & McCulloch, and then at a reduction of 4 per cent. A large number of men will be thrown out of employment by this move."

Mr. Wilson was seen by a Chronicle reporter and interviewed upon the subject. He stated that the probabilities are that machines will be substituted for the hand blowers the coming fire. As far as there being a lock-out or any trouble with the men, this was not anticipated, he said, for the company had always gotten along first class with its employes. He seemed to be very much surprised to know that the matter had become public.

It is not known when the factories will resume work, or what kind of machines the firm will use in them. The firm has had a man employed at Fairmount for the past year and a half on some sort of blowing machine, and whether a successful machine has finally been invented by him and whether it will be the one used in the factories, is a matter that we were unable to learn. If the machines are substituted over 200 blowers would be thrown out of work.